Don't break the bank: Japan's superb cheap eats
Don't sweat the high end -- just make your own fun when it comes to eating on a budget in Japan.Eating on the cheap in Japan doesn't have to mean scrounging for samples on the food floors of department stores or surviving on convenience-store onigiri rice balls -- though these are time-tested options for those who find themselves cash-strapped and famished.
There's plenty of great Japanese food that does not require taking out a second mortgage, if you know where to look. What applies in Tokyo generally follows in the rest of the country.
First, our four general rules of thumb for eats on the cheap:
1. Location is everything
Food prices reflect real estate overheads. Taking Tokyo as the first stop for most tourists, you're far more likely to find affordable fare in the blue-collar areas to the north and east of the city (such as Ikebukuro, Ueno, Senju), districts with high concentrations of students (Yoyogi, Waseda) and suburban shopping streets with old-school mom-and-pop diners.
2. Make lunch your main meal
With a few notable exceptions (Sushi Jiro, take a bow), just about every restaurant in every town, whatever level, offers introductory midday specials.
Even ramen shops often offer an extra bowl of rice or cut-price gyoza for free as part of their midday "lunch sets."
3. Go underground
Check out the basement floors of office buildings and supermarkets. They're the preserves, respectively, of low-level salarymen and mothers with young kids -- and they're all trying to pinch the proverbial as best they can.
4. See a specialist
Search out specialty chains that do low-cost, high-volume versions of favorite Japanese foods. They know what they're doing and so do their hundreds of thousands of satisfied daily diners.
Precepts digested, here’s our quick guide to how to eat like a local and get your fill on pennies per day.
Let’s be frank -- high-end sushi in Japan is prohibitively pricy. A mid-range sushiya dinner is a major splurge.
And even breakfast in Tsukiji, that essential stop on any fish-loving visitor’s itinerary, will still put a dent in the wallet. Where to go?
There are always budget kaiten sushi-go-round joints. But you’re never sure how long that item you’ve been eying has been chugging around the conveyor belt.
And anyway, you’re missing out on the essential sushi experience -- watching your meal made for you.
That’s the appeal of Uogashi Nihon-ichi: sushi made to order in front of your eyes, but as affordable as anywhere in the country.
Most items are ¥100 apiece, with quite a few at just ¥75 (be prepared to share, though: everything comes in pairs).
Even the top cuts, o-toro or chu-toro, come in at ¥300 or under. Better yet are the set lunches -- 12 assorted items, plus a temaki roll and miso soup for ¥880.
Granted, the cuts of seafood aren’t huge. But it’s still a substantial, and excellent, sushi meal.
What’s the catch? You have to stand.
But that itself is in line with tradition. When sushi as we know it first appeared in the 18th century, it was a fast food served from street stalls. No seats, no frills, no lingering. No problem.
Branches of Uogashi Nihon-ichi can be found in many parts of Tokyo. For a full list (in Japanese) visitsusinippan.co.jp
More on CNNGo: The best sushi restaurants in Tokyo
Tempura. It’s one of the supreme delicacies of Japanese cuisine. Unfortunately, all too often it’s priced that way, too.
But there’s no reason it has to be; the Tenya chain proved that long ago. In fact, its outlets -- more than 100 in Tokyo alone -- have forged a whole new approach to the genre: tempura as fast food, simple, hearty and affordable.
Instead of serving the tempura one piece at a time, as you’d get at a high-end restaurant, Tenya gives it to you all in one go.
Its trademark dish is the tendon (short for tempura donburi) rice bowl topped with batter-fried morsels of seafood and vegetable. Tempura without the rice is available, but trust us and go for the house specialty.
The basic year-round version (¥580) comes topped with a couple of jumbo prawns and a selection of vegetables (green bean, eggplant, pumpkin), all drizzled with a savory (and slightly sweet) thick soy sauce, with miso soup on the side.
There are plenty of variations on that basic menu. More seafood; three types of shrimp; seasonal specials such as bamboo shoots in spring, or mushrooms in autumn; in place of rice, udon or soba noodles, either hot or cold.
What doesn’t change year-round is the bright, functional decor and no-nonsense service.
Tenya is never a gourmet experience, but it’s reliable, filling and enduringly popular with businessmen on the go and parents with children in tow.
Tenya has branches throughout the Kanto area. For a full list (in Japanese) visit tenya.co.jp
More on CNNGo: Tokyo 2012 ultimate dining guide
The Fukushima Taiko Drummers meet U.S. Ambassador to Japan, John V. Roos, before they head to D.C. in April. A cool 540 meters above sea level sits the Yamakiya district of Kawamata in Fukushima Prefecture. Prior to March 11, 2011, the mountainous region was known for its silk products and wintertime rice-paddy ice-skating rinks.
No one is skating there this winter -- in fact, no one is living there at all.
In May 2011, it was evacuated when high levels of radiation were found after the nuclear disaster at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima.
All of its residents were evacuated to lower ground, scattered and displaced, including the members of the Yamakiya Taiko Club, an award-winning drumming group consisting of children from elementary school through high school that has been around for more than 10 years.
But displacement didn't stop these kids from banging on their mammoth drums, the largest of which measures 3.5 meters in diameter. And on April 7, they're leaving Japan and taking the show on the road ... to the United States.
The 13 Taiko drummers have never been on an airplane, never held a passport before and will be traveling abroad with some of the largest drums in the world. How on earth did this come about?
Facebook formation
Michelle Spezzacatena and Darryl Wharton-Rigby, two former JET Program teachers in Kawamata, had the initial idea.
"After the earthquake, I found Michelle on Facebook," said Darryl. "she was the teacher I took over from in 2005, and the idea started to take shape."
With a grant from the United States-Japan Council (USJC) Earthquake Relief Fund, assistance from the Tomodachi Initiative and coordination from the Japan American Society in Washington, D.C., the kids are packing their bags -- and drums.
"The biggest challenge in this entire process has been the drums," said Anna Cable of the USJC.
"We had to get input from a professional Taiko drummer to figure out how to get them to the States. American Airlines has been amazing and the drums are shipping via cargo to New York City, where they will be driven to Washington to meet the group."
The kids will be plenty busy while in the United States.
Packed schedule
Their two-week visit will be filled with cross-cultural exchanges, a homestay, museum tours and the highlight -- the group's performance at the centennial of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington.
Asked what she would like to do while in the United States, drummer Rika Watanabe, 16, had a mixed agenda. "I want to learn about trendy fashion and food and I want to meet Johnny Depp," she said.
The group will march in the Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on April 14 and then later that day perform at the Sakura Matsuri Street Festival.
The finale performance will be on April 15 at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage at 6 p.m.
So, Johnny, if you're anywhere near D.C. either day, you might consider dropping by the Kennedy Center -- there's someone there waiting to meet you.
More on CNNGo: 12 reasons to visit Japan in 2012
Currently on her second stint as a Tokyo resident, American Lisa Jardine has lived in Japan for six years ...
Playing a round: The ultimate Japan golf guide
Youth to the fore, as golf in Japan drops the pomade-headed businessmen image.When it comes to swinging leisure activities, every man and his dog knows there's nothing quite like hitting the links for a round of golf to escape the slings and arrows of everyday life.
Equally understood is that golf in Japan has long had a reputation for being -- putting it politely -- somewhat exclusive. So, what’s a plus-four-loving weekender to do?
Just outside the reach of the commute schedules, meetings and drab office buildings, hundreds of manicured golf courses dot the landscape of Japan (so much for it being a “small country”), just waiting to offer weekend warriors a breather from city life.
"Golf is a sport that you basically need a certain amount of money to play, so there is a tendency that men in their 40s, who can afford it, play it," says Weekly Golf Digest's Yukiyo Inagaki.
"Maybe younger people can't really afford to, but since some began playing as children, like pro golfer Ryo Ishikawa, many are playing in their teenage years. Thus, the Japanese golf scene is full of players are either very young or those who are past their 40s."
There is, of course, also plenty of room in that equation for visiting golfers looking for 18 holes of a Sunday, but where to tee off? Here’s our quick-start guide to finding your very own “good walk spoiled” anywhere in Japan.
Reckon on taking a whole day
You can forget about carving out only four or five hours, golf in Japan is an all-day experience.
"As with most Asian cities, the land around the cities is sought-after and therefore worth too much to build a golf course," says US native Bennett Galloway, Director of Golf and Teaching Professional at Gotemba Golf Club.
"This means that average travel times are an hour or two, one way, to the high- to mid-range courses, so there's two hours at least on your day from the get-go.
"Most clubs will have a shuttle service from the nearest train station, though they usually require a reservation. Depending on the club, you can expect a 2.5-hour front nine followed by a mandatory lunch break (40 minutes to an hour) then the second half. So, we’re at six hours now, plus travel."
And that's just the start of the fun.
"After a round, some people like to soak in the hot bath for a bit, then it's time to square up the tab, which can often run ¥15,000-¥20,000, depending on where and when you go, and how many beers you had at lunch," says Canadian Daily Asahi sportswriter Rob Smaal.
Bring your own clubs
As throwing the ball from tee to green is usually frowned upon, a golfer needs a good set of clubs. Just don't rely on the course -- the ones that offer rentals anyway -- to provide them.
"Most Japanese clubs have decrepitly old rental sets and won't have any shoes in your size, so be prepared," Galloway advises.
"However, I often remind myself that basically any set of clubs, regardless of age, is capable of sub-par rounds. It just depends who's on the business end of them."
Another tip when playing golf in Japan is to let someone else do the heavy lifting on the trip to and from the course.
"Takkyubin (courier service) your clubs to the course a couple of days before you play, and do the same when you come back, assuming you are going by train," Smaal recommends. "Takkyubin is cheap -- about ¥1,500 each way -- and reliable."
You can't show up to the course wearing just anything. You don't have to go with a puffball hat and copious amounts of plaid, but there are things to consider, such as whether the club requires jackets, allows shorts and other arcane codes.
And wear the right shoes.
"Soft spikes are the standard on Japanese courses," cautions Inagaki. "You can't use metal spikes at many places."
Etiquette matters
Golf is a gentleman's (and lady's) game, and on-course etiquette is important. Try to play at a considerate pace, so as not to inconvenience others.
Also, while some Japanese players aren't up-to-date on course manners regarding fixing marks on greens and raking bunkers, things caddies did in the past, it never hurts to do your part.
"In other countries, we say fix yours plus two others,” Galloway says -- an approach that will go a long way with the locals.
Next, a surprising rule -- singles are not allowed when playing golf in Japan; it’s groups only.
"Here in Japan they don't have starters who put together groups, you need to be a twosome minimum," Galloway says.
"This is because people have tended to do business on the course and joining would be like joining their business meeting.
“Here in Gotemba, I often get around this by offering a round lesson format where you get to play 18 holes with the Pro (me), getting the most out of the course as well as some helpful tips."
Thankfully, not everything is so straight-laced.
"It's OK to drink profusely and get drunk on the course," Galloway says. "As long as you are not driving, this is OK. Many of the members are there to do just that, plus get away from their nagging wives.
“You will see guys having pints with their breakfast or hot sake in the winter ... and this is another reason they don't want to get rid of the lunch break at the turn."
More on CNNGo: The new way to sell golf in Japan
China Travel Adventures By Tauck
Lonely Planet China (Country Travel Guide)
"Antique yet up-to-the-minute, familiar yet unrecognizable, outwardly urban but quintessentially rural, conservative yet path-breaking… China is a land of mesmerizing and eye-opening contradictions." – Damian Harper, Lonely Planet WriterOur Promise
You can trust our travel information because Lonely Planet authors visit the places we write about, each and every edition. We never accept freebies for positive coverage, and you can rely on us to tell it like we see it.
Inside This Book…
11 intrepid authors
198 maps
76 temples & monasteries
100s of noodle spots
Inspirational photos
Clear, easy-to-use maps
Hong Kong & Beijing pull-out map
Special Great Wall feature
Comprehensive planning tools
In-depth background
Comments